1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an industrial lift truck and more particularly to the arrangement for positioning the battery container on an electrically operated industrial lift truck and for retaining it in position.
2. Description of Prior Art
In a conventional electrically operated industrial lift truck a load carriage is mounted on a vertical mast which is mounted for movement along spaced straddle legs. The battery which is the power source for the truck is located in a DIN battery container supported on the straddle legs and located between the mast and the operator's seat. The battery container is movable along the spaced straddle legs by a shift mechanism when it is necessary to check the battery or remove it for recharging or replacement. In its rear stored position, the DIN battery container is located beneath a cover forming a part of the body of the truck in the area of the operator's seat. The battery container and the battery located therein are moved from the stored position below the cover into its forward open position when the shift mechanism is actuated.
A standard DIN battery container is a rectangular, open topped box which is mounted transversely of the shift mechanism bridging the spaced straddle legs of the truck. Two different arrangements are presently used to mount a battery container on a lift truck. In a first arrangement, the battery container is located on a tray mounted bridging the spaced straddle legs for connection with the shift mechanism for movement between the rear stored position and forward open position. The battery container and the battery are both positioned transversely of the straddle legs and are physically restrained from lateral movement by upturned edges on the tray. In a second arrangement, the battery container is provided with downwardly projecting feet which are placed in apertures in a flat platform which replaces the tray. The platform is aesthetically more pleasing than the tray, but the feet on the bottom of the container make the DIN battery container a special container and therefore more expensive.